


Meeting of Minds

by Jezmatron



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Adora is a blogger, Catra MANAGES SHIT, Catra is soft, Double Trouble is basically themselves, F/F, Inspired by FRIENDS, NB Catra, a tribute fic, art gallery, but wishes to be not, except simping HARD, meet cute, nb adora, non binary characters, short fic, soft, you know who you are
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:21:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,668
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29987631
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jezmatron/pseuds/Jezmatron
Summary: An art gallery opening, an encounter and a pairing.A short tribute fic that I smashed out for some fellow authors to commemorate their crazy interactions and well... them as a whole! I have them listed as co-creators cos this is kinda their fault as well ;)This is a short, self contained little meet cute - hope you enjoy some silly people just having zero chill with each other!
Relationships: Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 16
Kudos: 44





	Meeting of Minds

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dragonotakuroxy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dragonotakuroxy/gifts), [RomanValkyrie](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RomanValkyrie/gifts), [MomoAJojo](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MomoAJojo/gifts).



Alarms were the worst. Seriously - the worst.

Unfortunately, also _necessary._

Catra groaned and flailed next to the bed for the offending device, until their hand clenched. Of course, the alarm was across the room on the vanity. Because of their _normal_ response to alarms.

An act which resulted in the equally necessary replacement of the alarm. And then a quick clean up to rid the wood floor of errant bits of plastic shrapnel.

Blearily, Catra sat up in their bed and swung their legs out. The light streaming through the window showed that it was likely somewhere nearer midday. Actually, considering the alarm, it very much _was_ midday. With a groan, they stood and padded to the bathroom that adjoined the bedroom. Still half asleep, Catra stepped into the shower stall and flipped the faucet.

They shrieked as the cold water hit.

Yes, today was clearly going to be _fucking fantastic._

\------

Forty minutes later, Catra sat at the breakfast bar in their apartment, ready to face the day. They’d gone for their usual style: vans and a floral suit with a deep red and gold pattern. It was flamboyant but _cut_ . Plus it matched the deep colour of their fur. And entirely necessary considering the various appointments for the day. The night prior had been a never ending parade of _socialising_ \- keeping up with the network of sponsors, editors and _media darlings_ that attended the various events that Catra was responsible for managing.

It was exhausting, but the work meant they got to have lie-ins a lot, once they were _done_.

Of course, it being summer, the event season was _hot_ and that meant Catra had managed to double book themselves; luckily enough the event for the afternoon wasn’t one Catra was _running_ but was one they had to attend.

They were part excited and partly dreading it. The host was known for their unpredictability. In fact, that was one of the few things you could predict about him.

Catra sipped at the coffee and stretched, idly taking in their apartment - cluttered but in a sort of _lived in_ way - wood floors, plush leather armchairs and solid dark wood furniture. It wasn’t exactly what people thought when they met Catra, probably expecting some sort of chrome and black leather upholstery, rather than something that looked out of a period novel mixed with cottage-y vibes. But it was home.

Even if it did feel empty at times. Their tail lashed at the thought and they grimaced into their coffee.

The cell-phone on the countertop chimed and Catra sighed - a few errands to run, then time for the _party_ . Maybe they could just show their face and slip away early? Shenanigans from the _artiste_ aside, it was unlikely to have much else to really hold their attention. With a stretch, Catra rose from the bar and headed out to face the day.

  
  


\---------------------

As expected, the venue was packed: DT had a habit of going for _big_ . They enjoyed riling the crowds and pulling off popular exhibitions. A photographer, they had recently branched into more _performative_ pieces that blended the still lives with sculpture, paints and other mediums. It was experimental and sometimes unnerving, but always interesting.

The venue itself was a fourth story open plan unit in a converted factory. Catra had managed to slip in through the VIP spot due to their involvement with the planning agency and also their own connection with DT.

The individual in question practically bounced out of the crowd as Catra plucked a glass of orange juice from a passing tray.

“Catra! Kitten, baby!”

They turned at the voice and found the smirking face of DT, his hair pulled into a frizzy ponytail - all ripped jeans and green tank top and denim jacket. A camera hung around their neck, the artist ever ready to _capture_ a moment. Catra sighs then grins at their friend.

“DT, nice party.”

“Welllll I do try,” DT flourishes his hand, then shrugs, “Have you seen the main attraction?”

Catra shakes their head, “Not yet. Honestly… I want to but heavy night last night.”

“I _heard_ . Epic book launch, followed by… well, I didn’t get any _good_ pictures but I was occupied _if you know what I mean_ ,” DT giggled and waggled his eyebrows. Catra rolls their eyes, then adjusts their glasses.

“Please, no.”

“Eh, I got my reaction, you’re safe. That _blush_. People will start thinking you aren’t ol’ stoneheart anymore.”

Catra twitched at the nickname, but shrugged, “Are we going?”  
  


“OH That we are. I was hoping to introduce you to a new acquaintance. You’ll either hit it off or tear each other’s throats out.”

That made Catra stiffen - enforced socialising was _never_ fun. Better it be a natural coming together and then that build up of trust. Small talk was far too close to those near-PTSD inducing memories of being back in _retail_ many moons ago. Also, Scorpia. But Scorpia got a pass because it was _Scorpia_ and she tended to be an exception to some of Catras MANY rules.

DT rambled as they practically yanked Catra through the throng, something about _online media_ and _hit rates_ , whilst Catra tried to preserve their juice. Which was a lost cause as they broke through to the exhibit itself.

A strange construction of what _looked_ like kindling morphed into the shape of a humanoid form, but with a wraparound effect, like a 3D render of a photograph layered over it. But the photograph did not quite match the mapping - it was similar to some sort of computer model with the textures just slightly _off_.

It was unsettling. Ugly. Haunting.

And utterly ignored by Catra as DT made the introductions, “Catra! So, this is the blogger I mentioned. May I introduce _Adora_!”

_Well, I’m absopositively fucking doomed_ thought Catra as they stared.

  
  


\--------------

Adora didn’t usually attend _high end_ gigs - they preferred a good bar opening, or maybe some sort of live music _thing_ . But their site was paying good money for an article on this _DT_ character and had finagled an extra ticket for their partner, Glimmer. However, said _partner_ had wandered off to the bar and seemed to be showing off for some of the crowd there - notably some gushing guy in a crop top. That should have bothered Adora more but, honestly, the art and the sheer manic energy of DT was a distraction. Also, really - Glimmer _needed_ a non platonic date, so Adora wasn’t feeling _too_ abandoned.

This whole gig was a new experience: Adora handled the _media_ stuff on the blog - mostly pop-culture stuff; book launches, indie bands, venues. A smorgasbord really of all things _fun_ . Art and galleries were usually at the _snootier_ end of the scale, but DT was nothing if not a bit of a trouble maker, which meant they were slightly shunned by the more classical galleries. Hence the abandoned factory-vibe.

Adora looked up at the sculpture and shivered. The piece was good but _creepy; But also_ their attire was a bit thin in the slightly drafty venue - they’d gone for a vest-top with a sort of cape that draped over the arms. Matching flared trousers (All white, which was _possibly_ a poor call given the amount of red wine being sloshed about) and low heels finished the look. And it had been good outside in the summer air, but had proved lacking in the cooler interior. Their long blonde hair really _added_ to the effect - all pushed by Glimmer, of course, as she had the better colour blend taste. But still, Adora _knew_ she wasn’t looking half bad.

They turned as DT re-emerged from the crowd, a newcomer in tow. Adora smiled at DT, then glanced at the person in front of them. And then blinked.

To say their chest stuttered would have been a major understatement.

Catra was shorter than they were. The fitted suit over a floral shirt _should_ have been loud, but it worked _so well_ on their lithe frame. A small smile under square rimmed, black glasses, framed by dark bangs just _sold the whole thing._ Oh and the fact that their eyes were _two different colours_ . The twitching cat ears and lashing tail marks the newcomer as a magicat, but Adora found that an almost secondary detail beyond the fact the individual in front of them was _hot_ . _As. Fuck._

Right there and then, Adora had a hard time zeroing in on what DT was saying, but they managed to emerge from their stupor to extend a hand, “Um, so. Yep. Pleasure. Adora. Hi.”

Catra swallowed visibly, then cracked a smirk and _dear lord_ a smile should not be able to elicit _this_ sort of response, “A pleasure. So, blogger? Not youtube?”

“Ew,” Adora crinkled their nose and Catra’s eyes blinked rapidly, “I mean, they get _old_. Writing is much more evocative. Also, less production issues.”

Catra raised their glass, “Can’t argue with that.”

“And you?”

“Oh, uh. Events. I do events.”

Adora arched an eyebrow, “So specific.”

That drew a laugh from Catra, “Well, stuff like this, really. Though this isn’t one of mine. Here to support DT… and for my own morbid curiosity.”

DT glanced between the two of them, then clapped his hands, “EEE! I knew you two would hit it off. Alright… nearly _showtime_.”

Catra and Adora exchanged a glance and Catra bit their lip, “This will either be entertaining _or_ a disaster.”

“Oh, how so? Not really been to one of these… gallery things.”  
  


“Ohhh trust me. This is _not_ like a normal gallery thing. DT likes to poke the bear. Bit like spiderman,” Catra immediately winced, their geek cred having slipped out far too early in the night.

Adora glanced to their side and smirked, “Maguire, Garfield or Holland? Or are you talking, like, the animated series stuff?”

That made Catra blink, “Uh, well, like in the Spiderverse…”

“I fucking _love_ that movie. Glimmer… um… the uh, my friend she hates watching it. Doesn’t get why I like a cartoon.”

Catra arched an eyebrow at Adora’s stutter then grinned, “Her loss. It’s fucking _art_.”

“I know! The animation!”

“The music!”

“The whole _spider noir_ thing.”

They chuckled at each other and Catra shook their head, eyes to the ground. They paused and Catra realised they’d reached out to touch Adora’s arm. With a cough they drew it back and thought they heard what _sounded_ like a disappointed noise from the taller woman. Before Catra could follow up with a distracting and deflecting _quip_ , they were interrupted.

“Ladies and GENTS! Thank you for coming!” DT’s voice blasted over the speakers set about the room, “So, um, here’s the fun part of the evening’s entertainment. As you all know, the exhibition is titled _grotesque_ ! And, well… it’s all a bit meta. Our own self revulsions, our excesses, our discomfort with things not _quite_ well in the world. The excess of this crowd, out to drink and be merry, to _consume_. My own ego, on display. The human expression of art and social constructs allll around us. I’ve put my works, prints, whatever, all around the room… and, well, we all know that artists come to loathe their creations, like Frankenstein’s monster. And like the monster, sometimes it must be put to the torch!”

The audience shuffled uncomfortably and looked about to clap, when something clicked under the main exhibit. There was a _whosh_ and the whole thing was suddenly engulfed in flames. Adora and Catra leaned back as the piece began to bubble and melt; the photographic paper and ink bubbling and charging over the wax and wood model beneath. It began to ooze and sizzle, dissolving in the heat before them.

Then a clanging alarm rang out and DT’s voice descended into giggles as the sprinkler system kicked in. The crowd shrieked in outrage and shock, then began to stampede from the room. Around them, the paintings began to run as the ink and oils flushed away. The main exhibit sputtered as the flames guttered out, leaving a melted monstrosity in its wake. Adora shrieked in impotent fury as their long blonde hair plastered to their head and the outfit went near _sheer_ from the sudden deluge. Catra swore, then grabbed for Adora’s arm with as they yelled, “This way!”

They got lost in the spray until Catra battered a door open and the pair stumbled out onto a fire escape. The door clunked shut behind them and they stood in the warm evening air, bedraggled but drawing breath.

Catra huffed, then shouldered off their jacket to drape over Adora’s shoulders, then shook to flick their fur _relatively_ dry, “Oh that asshole,” they chuckled, “They owe me…”

“Who… the _fuck_ … does that?” chattered Adora, incredulous. Catra shrugged.

“Eh. That’s DT. But hey, something good for the blog right?”

Adora snorted, “Point.”  
  


“Uh, so, um, yeah... “ Catra had made the mistake of glancing down and was now trying to keep their face fixed on Adora’s, “So… you, ahem… in a rush?”

Adora blinked then looked at Catra with a raised eyebrow. Their lips twitched into a small half grin,“I mean I just got drenched, I might need to dry off.”  
  


Catra nodded vigorously, “My point, uh… my point exactly. So, um… I have, that is to say… my apartment is like, right around the corner. I have stuff.. Towels. I have _towels_.”

Adora’s gaze softened and a small smile crawled over their face, “Are you asking me over?”

“For purely um… platonic reasons. Toweling. Because, you um… mentioned a friend. Stuff. And…”

“Except she left in the rush and _you_ dragged me out,” Adora arched an eyebrow, “So… towels? And also… maybe my rescuer deserves a reward?”

Catra swallowed thickly, “I mean. That… sounds… ni-” but the words were cut off as Adora surged forwards and their lips locked. Catra managed a muffled squeak that dissolved into a more contented sound.

They got off the fire escape eventually. And back to Catra’s apartment. Toweling was _very much_ a thing that happened. After a shower.

  
  


\---------------------------------------

The coffee shop was a pleasant venue, with a lot of space. Of course Adora decided they only wanted one _specific_ chair and planted themself down, then pulled Catra’s into her lap as soon as they were comfy. DT was already in a booth and grinned at the pair whilst slurping on a coffee, and chewing a particularly large… thing that looked 90% sugar crash waiting to happen. Their large green eyes blinked and they flicked their own blonde ponytail over their shoulder.

“So, that didn’t take long, Catra, I really thought you had _resilience_.”

Catra, who had settled back into Adora’s shoulder, leaned up to press a kiss against Adora’s jaw, then glared at DT, “Lay off. This is your fault.”

DT waved a hand, “Like that’s a _bad_ thing,”

Adora leaned their head against Catra’s, then reached up to trail nails across the magicat’s scalp, “Oh hell no. I got the story and my babe in one night.”

Catra actually _purred_ . One week since the gallery and, well… U-haul had always been a bit of a jokey trope to Catra, but _damn_ if hadn’t happened. They leaned up, tilted Adora’s face around and planted a gentle kiss on their lips, “Definitely can’t complain.”

“Oh you two… are so _soft_ ,” DT practically squeed, “Imma gonna live tweet this shit.”   
  


Catra swiveled, “Don’t you fuckin’ dare.”

DT grinned, “And maybe I need to make you my next _project_! OH YES!”

“I have a reputation!”

DT turned the phone around, “Had, my friend… embrace the life of simping. Also, just… enjoy this.”

Adora chuckled and scratched at Catra’s scalp again, “Poor baby. Don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you at home. I’ll even let you make me work for it.”

Catra wasn’t sure if they could go any redder, but it seemed their body was willing to try. But honestly, at that moment, they didn’t care.

Turned out it hadn’t been such a shitty day after all.


End file.
